


Here We Go Again

by Ellienerd14



Category: Oxenfree (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post Oxenfree secret ending, Sibling Bonding, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 14:36:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20909258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellienerd14/pseuds/Ellienerd14
Summary: With the help of a cryptic radio message, Jonas, Ren and Alex never catch their ferry to Edwards Island.But, they may have escaped the loop this time but Alex is the perfect vessel for escape and there are other ways for the loop to catch up on them.





	Here We Go Again

Jonas had never pegged himself as a stress smoker but it’s been less than an hour with his new step-sister and he’s already reaching for his third cigarette. Ren seems determined to fill any possible awkward silence between them as he rambles away. Alex nods along, seemingly used to his endless chatter but she catches his eye and raises an eyebrow, clearly amused at something. 

When Alex had promised him a cool initiation into Camena, he had assumed something more exciting then hanging out in a car park outside some tiny convenience store. Ren made a passing comment about a ferry, but he made a lot of passing comments, so Jonas was starting to lose track. 

Alex fiddles with her pocket radio - and really, how small town in the middle of nowhere is that? - as they wait for a sign from the universe. A catchy pop song plays and for a moment it seems like they might actually go somewhere until- 

“Argh.” Alex fumbles with her radio, almost dropping it as the music was cut off with garbled static. Then a voice. 

_ Her voice _ warning them to stay away from Edwards Island, to stay safe. Ren insists it’s a prank but something about the look on Alex’s face sends shudders down his spine. She looked terrified. So when Alex insists she’s just as surprised as them to hear it, Jonas is inclined to believe her. 

It’s actually a relief, to not take the ferry after all. Better to get pizza then visit that creepy ass haunted island again. 

* * *

Alfredo's pizza is good. The three of them sit around a takeaway box in Ren’s bedroom. It’s homely enough but Jonas can’t feel completely comfortable there yet. Ren eats twice as much pizza as him and Alex together. She doesn’t seem all there - her hand keeps patting the bulk of radio in her jacket pocket. 

Ren makes some sounds that might be words. Then, he swallows the food in his mouth and tries again. “Video games or dance party?” 

“Video games,” Alex answers, “I’ve had enough of this radio tonight.” 

“Ah, come one, Jenny’s putting my song on her station.” He gestures in Joans’ direction. “You wanna hear my music, right?” 

“Uh.” 

Alex saves him from actually answering. “The only music we need is Guitar Hero.” 

“You cheat!” 

“No way, I’m just that good.” 

They fall into an easy rhythm of teasing, nudging each other competitively and Alex finally seems to relax. She beats Ren three times in a row before he accepts defeat and they offer Jonas a go. He does even worse than Ren did but it’s the least awkward things have been between him and Alex all night. 

The peace doesn’t last. Ren’s flicking pizza crusts at them when his phone rings. 

“Bet that’s Allie,” he says. Ren ducks out the room a moment, leaning Jonas alone with Alex for the first time. 

“So…” 

Alex laughs, “come on, it’s not that bad.” 

“It’s just weird… having a little sister all of a sudden.” 

“Who are you calling a  _ little _ sister?” Alex asks. “We can’t all have giraffe legs.” 

“I didn’t realise you had a thing about your height.” 

She throws a pillow at him. “I do not.” 

“Okay, okay you win!” Jonas laughs. 

“I hear sibling bonding!” Ren sings. 

“You’re in a good mood. Is Allison bringing beers or something?”

“It wasn’t Allie!” Ren drops on the couch and lies in Alex’s lap. “It was Nona!” 

“No way!” 

“She went to the party at Edward Island. She said she wished I was there.” 

“A miracle! The first time a cute girl has liked Ren back.” 

“Who’s Nona?” Jonas asks. 

“The love of life,” Ren replies, with a dramatic flair Jonas has started to expect with him. 

“So that’s why you wanted to go to this Island party thing?” 

“It’s not the only reason…” Ren glances at Alex, “it’s a tradition, you know?” 

Alex frowns. “I told you, the radio thing had me spooked.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Ren still didn’t seem to take it seriously. 

“It’s not like you needed to go anyway,” Jonas cut in, trying to diffuse the tension. “If this Nina-“

“Nona-“

“Nona called anyway.” 

“And she sent me a pretty cute selfie,” Ren adds, passing his phone up to Alex. 

“Oh my god,” she says, “you see that... thing, right?” 

“What thing?” 

“The demon thing-“ 

“I know you don’t like Clarissa but that is kinda rude.” 

“No behind them.” Alex stood up, leaving Ren to tumble to the ground. She shoves the phone at Jonas. “You see it right?” 

He squints at the screen. The main focus was two cute teenage girls. One smiling in a knitted orange jumper, the other scowling with her arms crossed. But behind them was a shadowy outline with blurred red eyes. 

Ren and Alex crowded either side of him. 

“Tell me this is another part of your prank. You have English with Nona, maybe…” 

“Ren,” she says, more serious than Jonas has ever seen her, “would I go this far? I told you I didn’t mess with the radio.” 

“Maybe it was Clarissa. She’s more the mean spirited prank type.”

“I don’t exactly think they have Photoshop over on Edwards Island.” 

“It doesn’t explain the radio either.”

“Yeah, how would Clarissa even get my voice Ren? You know she hates me. And I haven’t spoken to her since Mike’s…” 

“I know.” 

“I hate to ask this but,” Jonas sighs, “what else could this be?” 

The phone screen turns black, reflecting their own terrified faces back at them. 

* * *

The creepy photo takes the fun out the night. They watch old movies instead of going back to the video games but there was something unsettling resting in the back of their minds. 

The fact Nona hadn’t answered when they called her back didn’t help, even if the Island hawas meant to have awful signal. Ren had kept trying and had fallen asleep clutching his phone. He had curled up in an old sleeping bag in the corner of his den, with only his messy blond curls sticking out. 

Alex was curled up on the arm chair, finally taking off the giant red jacket she had worn all night and using it as a pillow. That left Jonas on Ren’s old couch, which was too small for him to fit properly. His feet hung off the edge, which Alex had teased him about. (That had to be a good thing, right? Siblings tease each other.) 

He had told her about his old home, the crappy school and how his house had bars on the windows. Alex had told him about her older brother Michael. (That was definitely a good sign - his Dad had told him to mention Michael or his death at all. Alex was still sensitive about it.) 

“As new brothers go,” Alex says, half-yawning, “you’re not too bad Jonas.” 

“As new sisters go, I could worse.” 

“Look at us, total cheese balls.” She yawns again. “Night.” 

“Night sleepy time girl.” 

Alex bolts up. “What did you just call me?” 

“I don’t know… I wasn’t thinking.” 

“Do. Think.” She says. “It was creepy. And familiar.” 

“Familiar?” 

“I don’t know.” Alex lies down again. “Something about tonight feels weird. Like we’re sleeping through a tornado.” 

“Do you get tornados in Oregon?” 

“Jonas,” she says, “am I going crazy or… I don’t know what!” 

“No. I feel it too. This is weird. The photo earlier.” 

“The radio.” 

They lie in the darkness, in silence. It’s only when Jonas is half-asleep he hears Alex whisper to herself. 

_ “I don’t want to go back there.”  _

Even half-conscious, Jonas recognises  _ there  _ as Edwards Island. 

Even half-conscious, he agrees. 

* * *

Before he’s even opened his eyes, Joans can feel something is off. 

The something is Alex’s radio, which crackles with red energy and floats in the middle of the room. 

“You see that too?” 

He nods. 

_ “You will. Come. And you have. Always come. Leave not. Possible. Alex.”  _

She lets out a whimper as it spits out her name.

Jonas hops to his feet and steps instinctively in front of Alex. 

“Who is it?” 

_ “You know. Us. As we know. You.”  _

“What do you want?” 

_ “Two is. Not. Enough. There is. Always five. Leave not. Possible. Alex.”  _

“How do you know her name?” He demands. 

_ “Know her. Always. You will return. For friends. You will play. For girls.”  _

“Nona,” she whispers. 

“Play this!” Jonas says, grabbing the game controller and smashing it against the radio. He knocks it to the ground and stamps on it for good measure. It hisses as the red lights fade. 

“Alex?” 

“Oh God,” she breathes, pulling him into a hug, “they knew my name.” 

“It’s okay.” 

Alex pulls away and reaches for her jacket. It’s like a safety blanket to her, he guesses. 

“I’m sorry I broke it,” Jonas says, kicking the remaining pieces aside. 

“It was Michael’s once.” 

“Oh crap. Double sorry.” 

“It was cursed Jonas, I think you did the right thing.” Alex is still shaking. “Shit, Nona. Something isn’t right.” 

“It’s not our job to fix it.” 

“I know,” Alex says, “but we have before.” 

* * *

Jonas can’t sleep anymore after this. Alex offers to make him toast in Ren’s kitchen and they nibble at their breakfast at five in the morning. (Ren slept through the whole radio thing. Jonas is not looking forward to catching him up.) 

“Everything is leading us back to Edwards Island,” Alex says, “and I’m terrified of what we’ll find there.” 

“Trouble.” 

She nods. _ “Trouble.”  _

So, when Ren hurries in half an hour later, waving around his phone with a worried voicemail from Nona, it’s clear the trouble is just beginning. 

* * *

They get the earliest ferry available, watching as Edwards Island gets closer and closer. 

Jonas leans against the railing, a cigarette in one hand, trying to ignore just how familiar this all feels. (The early morning light is different. So is the baseball bat that Alex has tucked in her bag. But he’s been here before; Jonas can feel it.) 

Alex joins him. 

“This is such a bad idea.” 

“I know,” he agrees, “but also, familiar?” 

“I know.” Alex pulls her jacket tight against the early morning breeze. “I can’t tell if it’s a comfort or not.” 

Jonas takes a final drag and flicks the cigarette butt to the ground. _ “Here we go again.”  _

**Author's Note:**

> I recently got into this game (I'm late I KNOW) and the original three (Ren, Jonas and Alex are my favourites). I like the secret ending but I also thought there's no way it's that easy to just walk away. So... I didn't let them. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! 
> 
> Say hi: tumblr @bazwillendinflames | twitter @ellienerd14


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